The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-10-05

corded in the Alps. He had fallen down
crevasse in the great glacier of the Mer
de Grace. He was alone at the time, but
they found his broken alpenstock at the
lip of the crevasse, and down in the
depths they heard the footing of his
horn. 1t took 300 feet of rope to bring
him up, and ever since then he was
guide much sought for by those who had
any choice in the selection of guides,
and, besides this, the recital of his thrill
ing story had filled his purse on many an
occasion.
So Hertzoff took the Doctor and my
self across the glacier that day. We left
the beaten path somewhat so that we
might see the spot where he fell in and
hear the story Just where it happened:
The crevasse was a wide one but it had
been narrower at the time the GUIDE
slipped over. What made matters worse
was that at the time the guide was alone.
He had taken party across the glacier
and was returning by short Quito Mon
tanvert. He and his brother were to take
party up the glacier in the afternoon
and his brother, who was waiting for him
at Montanvert, b "ame alarmed at his
absence. With another guide he started
to meet him, and knowing the short cut
that the guides generally took when
alone, they followed it. Coming to a
valley in the ice at the bottom of which
was the narrow crevasse, they saw
on the other side broken alpenstock
stuck fast in an ice crevice that told the
whole story. Hertzoff had come down
the incline as usual with ais alpenstock
to keep the decent from being too swift:
The alpenstock caught in the crevice and
snapped off. Hertzoff fell and slid help
lessly over the lip of the crevasse. He
went down feet first. He tried to stop
himself by bracing his feet against the
opposite side of the crevasse, but he slid
dawn the blue, clear ice with appalling
swiftuess. About hundred feet down
the crevasse turned, and from thence to
the bottom he slid down on his back, and
in an instant found himself in two feet
of ice water that rushed to help form the
River Arve that flows through Chamonlx.
When his brother and the other guide
saw how matters stood and heard the
faint toot of the Alpine horn in the ice
depths, the brother shouted down to en-
courage him to hold out, while the other
ran back to the big hotel for ropes and
help. All the visitors and many of the
guides came back with him, and in
short time they had the half frozen man
up on the surface again. 1t was a fear
fully narrow escape. Hertzof tied ropes
around US and held on while we ent
down and looked over the edge of the
crevasse. The sides were clear lumin
Gus blue, darkening as they went down.
We could hear the rush of the water be-
low. The Doctor dropped stone into
the chasm and that, more than anything
else, made US realize its depth. The
stone dropped to the turn in the crevasse
and then we heard it ringing against the
sides as it went down and down, SEEM
ingly to the center of the earth.
As we returned the Doctor and I
walked together beh' nd the guide, who
was some distance ahead. We were both
very much impressed by the story told
on the very spot where it had happened.
THAT ought to be great lesson for
you," began the Doctor.
"Why for me9"
"Well, in the telling of story. Now,
if you were writing that adventure the
chances are that you would spoil it by
piling up the agony. He told it in his
simple, direct way, that to my mind was
infinitely more thrilling than all the fine
writing in the world. What impressed
me about .his narrative was the simplicity
of diction and the evident truthfulness,
and, besides that, there was an absence
of brag that strikes me as admiral
"Still you must admit that the guide
is a man of rather coarse feelings; prob
ably the only sensation he felt was an
animal desire for safety. He did not
describe his feelings because he had
none. Take more refined and educated
person in the same situation, and his
sensations during that slow slide to the
edge of the crevasse would be something
painfully intense-something that this
man could neither appreciate nor under
stand"
81 don't admit that at all. This mans
modesty prevents him from telling us
lust what he felt. Human nature is hu-
man nature all the world over. Now to
prove this, when we return will try and
get this man into mesmeric trance. |
think he would be good subject, and
if I succeed, then we will have his story
with all his sensations at the time of fall
ing. I wish that if he proves good
subject you would take your pencil and
get his words as nearly verbatim as you
can. By the way, do you write short
hand2"
"Oh, yes, but the trouble is I can't
read it, nor can any body else after the
notes are written, That has always been
my drawback with shorthand"
"Well, do the best you can."
When we got to the hotel the Doctor
invited the guide up to his room to have
a glass. He asked the gu de to sit d own,
and I softly turned the key in the door
so that we would not be interrupted.
The doctor drew up his chair befo re the
guide, and said:
"Yo ou seem to be very healthy man"
The guide said he had to be. The
guide business was not an occupation for
invalids.
81 am phsician., Please allow me to
feel your pulse"
The guide somewhat reluctantly gave
his wrist to the Doctor, who finally took
both the guides hands in his own and
looked him straight in the eyes, while
lis fingers seemed to caress the horny
palms of the guide.
The Swiss seemed very uneasy for few
moments, but at last his stalwart frame